Disposable containers containing liquids are in wide use. In order to prevent the liquid from being accidently spilled during use, the open upper end of such container can be covered with a disposable cap having an upwardly extending spout. The user drinks from the spout. The cap has a peripheral socket which engages the periphery of the upper end of the container.
Such caps when secured to such containers can be subject to substantial and undesired leakage when a container of liquid covered with a cap is disposed horizontally on its side or even when the container is disposed vertically and is subjected to sudden movement as for example when held in a moving vehicle so that the liquid surges upward and out of the spout.
It is known, as disclosed in U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,363,983 and 5,366,109, to secure a member having one or more holes or a longitudinal slot within the spout which will prevent any substantial leakage of liquid when the liquid in the container surges therein because of sudden movement of the container or when the container is disposed horizontally on its side. More particularly, only a drop or so of liquid may leak out.
In order to prepare certain liquids such as coffee, it is often necessary to heat such liquids to temperatures which are so high that a user who drinks quickly risks being burned. Moreover, should the covered container be tilted suddenly, the hot liquid can surge outwardly and spill onto the user, thus creating an additional risk of burning.
When caps employing member containing spouts of the type disclosed in U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,363,983 and 5,366,109 are employed, the risk of burning created by surges of hot liquid when the container is tilted is essentially eliminated. However the risk of burning created when the user drinks hot liquid quickly remains.
The present invention is directed toward a new type of disposable cap provided with an upwardly extending drinking spout which both reduces the temperature of the liquid to a more tolerable level for the user and also essentially eliminates the additional risk of burning caused by surging of the hot liquid.